2021 Music In Review: Best Labels
And so begins my year-in-review series! Later I’ll be breaking down my favorite EPs, songs and albums of 2021, but now we start with my favorite labels of the year. Here are the ones that stood out the most!
5. Dismiss Yourself
California underground label Dismiss Yourself is a mixed bag in the most cathartic and refreshing way possible. The label’s less than 30 releases so far all feel like artifacts dragged into the light from the strangest corners of the web. From the screamo pop of Your Arms Are My Cocoon’s self-titled debut to the My Chemical Romance-sampling breakbeats of Cacola’s “A Gift To Us All,” trying out any Dismiss Yourself release this year felt like an introduction to a completely alien scene. The label’s unpredictable catalog and YouTube channel that promotes more independent music with full-album streams, which introduced me to other favorites from this year like a fantastic Haircuts for Men EP and Lil Ugly Mane’s post-bedroom pop masterwork, made it one of the most exciting places online to find new music this year.
4. Anti-
This American label and sister to the punk-focused Epitaph has been on a streak of releasing high-quality indie rock and singer songwriter music, with 2020 albums by Andy Shauf and Christian Lee Hutson standing out as highlights. But in 2021, Anti-’s taste became harder to pin down than ever, releasing everything from solo work from Hollywood composer Danny Elfman to abstract to Moor Mother’s eerie hip-hop. Along with the fresh variety, the label’s indie and singer-songwriter releases didn’t disappoint, with Madi Diaz’s “History Of A Feeling” contributing to the current wave of Elliott Smith worship while establishing her own lovely voice and style and Andy Shauf’s “Wilds” driving his production and storytelling to more raw and personal places than ever before. And with the fantastic Christian Lee Hutson single “Strawberry Lemonade” fresh in our memory and Shauf always working on new material solo or with his band Foxwarren, we have no reason to expect Anti- to slow down in 2022.
3. Longinus Recordings
On its surface, Michigan-based tape label Longinus Recordings might seem pretty familiar if you’ve done some digging around Bandcamp. The Neon Genesis Evangelion reference in the title, anime artwork in its branding, the focus on producing cassettes and self-identifying as “ran out of a college dorm room” in its bio all make it seem pretty unremarkable at first. However, listen to any of the label’s releases after it was founded in early 2021 and it’s obvious: Longinus Recordings is one of the best sources for shoegaze and emo you can find online today. With anonymous bedroom acts Parannoul, Asian Glow and sonhos tomam conta all dropping solo albums and coming together for the equally beautiful and noisy split “Downfall of the Neon Youth” this year, Longinus has built an impressive catalog remarkably quickly. Not only is the music raw and ambitious, but it also serves as a refreshing and shocking representation of South Korea’s independent rock scene, with both Parannoul and Asian Glow hailing from Seoul. In a country that mostly sees Korean music solely as K-pop, Longinus Recordings’ fantastic catalog is a breath of fresh air.
2. Saddle Creek
Even if Saddle Creek’s output during the past few years consisted only of albums from Philadelphia-based indie rock quartet Hop Along and Los Angeles art rockers Young Jesus, the Omaha label would already be one to watch. But in 2021, artists I had never listened to before or who had never really made a strong impression invaded my regular rotation after dropping new albums through the label. Ada Lea and Hand Habits stunned with indie pop showing off stronger songwriting and more dynamic production than they ever had before. Indigo De Souza’s label debut “Any Shape You Take” quickly became one of my favorite rock albums of the year, tugging at heartstrings with confessional songwriting and fiery vocals. And aside from all the fantastic records that fit comfortably in Saddle Creek’s wheelhouse, SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE shocked and thrilled with its insane fusion of hypnagogic pop and industrial glitch on “ENTERTAINMENT, DEATH.” With polished examples of its indie bread and butter and a couple surprises, Saddle Creek continued its fantastic run throughout the past couple years with consistent qualify and refreshing versatility.
1. Bruiser Brigade Records
Underground hip-hop had a fantastic year in general, but Bruiser Brigade specifically made it a whole new level of special. The Detroit-based collective led by modern rap icon Danny Brown made itself unavoidable in 2021, dropping seven albums from core members and landing high-profile features like Brown’s off-the-wall fury on BROCKHAMPTON’s “BUZZCUT” or the whole posse passing the mic on The Alchemist’s “Flying Spirit.” Although Brown stole the spotlight on that BROCKHAMPTON collaboration and a few songs from the label’s compilation album “TV62,” the lesser known members of Bruiser Brigade truly made the label’s output special. Bruiser Wolf’s debut album “Dope Game Stupid” walks a fine line between stand-up comedy and dark observations on drug dealing while piling on quotable after quotable. Fat Ray crafted one of the most cutthroat hardcore rap albums of the year on the bleak but luxurious “Santa Barbara.” And of course, ZelooperZ, along with providing an incredibly evocative feature on Injury Reserve’s “SS San Francisco,” defied all conventions with his wild “Van Gogh’s Left Ear,” which jumps between melodic trap, bluesy jams and Crash Bandicoot-sampling bangers. As the cherry on top, all this fantastic music is available on Bruiser Brigade’s Bandcamp page for name-your-price download. The Bruisers are an absolute gift and the main reason I’ll be looking back on this year as a golden age for underground hip-hop.
You can follow John on Twitter at @JohnMichaelBr15.
